1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to hand tools and more particularly to a hand tool having a tether attachment loop built into the tool.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Carpenters, designers, facilities maintenance personnel, and other workers regularly use hand tools on a job site. Job site safety rules often require workers to tether a hand tool to the worker or structure to prevent inadvertent drops into critical areas. For example, a carpenter's square dropped from an elevated working position can cause serious injury to workers or damage to equipment below. For this reason, the facility may require that all hand tools be tethered to the worker.
Adjustable wrenches and some pliers have a hole defined in the end of the handle. The user can easily connect a tether by clipping through the opening or otherwise securing a tether through the hole.
Mechanic's wenches, hammers, alignment bars and other elongated tools have traditionally also been difficult to tether. However, one approach to tethering these tools includes attaching a connector loop to the tool using tape or shrink tubing. For example, one tethering method uses heat-shrink tubing to attach a connector strap to a straight section of the tool, where the connector strap includes a D-ring connector. One connector strap known to some as a “web tail” is a length of webbing with a first end looped through the connector and then secured to itself to attach the connector loop to the length of webbing. The first end of the webbing provides a first catch where the end of the webbing is doubled on itself. A second end of the webbing is folded or double folded on itself and then stitched together or otherwise secured in this position to define a second catch where the webbing is doubled or tripled on itself. The web tail is attached to the tool handle by using heat-shrink or cold-shrink tubing positioned around the tool handle with the web tail between the shrink tubing and the tool handle and where the shrink tubing is positioned between the first catch and the second catch. After positioning the shrink tubing, the shrink tubing is reduced in size to conform to the tool handle and web tail, thereby securing the web tail to the tool handle.